“Wings of silver, nerves of steel!” If you’re of a certain age and watched afternoon cartoon programming, or you happened to discover the series later in life, you most like know what comes next:
“SilverHawks!”
And if you aren’t fortunate enough to be familiar with what that means, well, Dynamite Comics hopes to change that in the new year. This January, Dynamite is publishing the first issue of a new SilverHawks comic book, based on the 1980s cartoon of the same name. The animated series focused on the SilverHawks, under command of Commander Stargazer and designed to be the defense of against the forces of the nefarious gangster Mon*Star and his minions of destruction. With Mon*Star escaping his confinement on Penal Planet 10, the SilverHawks fought to stave off the chaos he attempted to wreak across the stars.
With this new comic, Dynamite has recruited writer Ed Brisson and artist Greg Kambadais to lead the ‘Hawks—including Quicksilver, Bluegrass, the Copper Kid, and more—into their new adventures, to delight fans new and old with the heroes’ tales of derring-do. I had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Brisson about where we find the SilverHawks in issue #1, what the ‘Hawks mean to him, working with Mr. Kambadais, and what sets the ‘Hawks apart from other 1980s properties.
Ed Brisson is a never-miss talent who always knows the assignment. From everything from Old Man Logan to Sins of the Salton Sea (check out our interview with Mr. Brisson) to ThunderCats: Apex, Brisson shows he’s a writer who can tackle any sort of genre and subject and make them seem fresh and new. I said this in my Absolute Wonder Woman interview with Kelly Thompson and I’ll say it about Ed Brisson: He’s a writer who’ll prompt me to buy a book simply because he’s on the creative team. Add Greg Kambadais into the mix and that’s icing on the cake.
In addition, as Mr. Brisson notes in his interview answers, SilverHawks is a beloved cartoon from decades past that really hasn’t gotten its due in the 21st century. It’s a novel premise with characters with sleek designs and well-outlined personalities. All the franchise needs is a little love, which seems to be Brisson’s—and Dynamite’s—mission.
FreakSugar: Before we get into the book itself, what is your personal history with the SilverHawks franchise?
Ed Brisson: I grew up watching it – it would come on at 4:30, right after ThunderCats every day. I had a bunch of the figures and read the Marvel Star comics series. It’s a show I’ve thought of often and have always wondered why it never got more love or a revival like ThunderCats.
FS: ThunderCats: Apex just went on sale from Dynamite. How did you become involved with the SilverHawks series?
EB: I pretty much pestered my way onto the book.
When it was first announced that Declan Shalvey was going to be writing ThunderCats, I reached out to him and asked if Dynamite had plans for SilverHawks (they didn’t). I probably bothered him at least once a month about it – Declan and I have known each other for almost 15 years, I can get away with pestering him. Then, this past summer, when Nate Cosby (editor at Dynamite) reached out to me about writing ThunderCats: Apex, I may have badgered him about it a little as well.
In the end, it all worked out and here we are!
FS: There’s been a hint that maybe-fingers-crossed-possibly there might be interaction between the ‘Hawks and the ThunderCats. IF that happened (and I know you can’t say one way or another), which characters from each world would you most like to see interact with one another?
EB: Wait? Who hinted at that? Give me their name and address, I need to have words!
At the moment, there are no plans, though I think that everyone is very aware of the desire to see these two teams meet up. As to who I’d like to square off or team up, I guess we’d have to wait and see. Though, I do think that putting Mumm-Ra and Mon*Star in the same world would be a disaster. They’d probably rip the universe apart going to war with one another.
FS: You’re working with George Kambadais on the book, which is just a phenomenal pairing. What has the collaboration process been like so far?
EB: I’ve been wanting to work with George for a long time, it was just a matter of finding the right project and lining our schedules up. Thankfully, SilverHawks is that perfect project at the right time.
What I love about George’s style is that it’s unique, it’s not like anything else out there right now. His linework has this kind of sharp, kinetic, and vibrant quality that works perfectly for the futuristic, shiny/sleek world of the SilverHawks filled with explosive space battles, high-stakes chases, and a plethora of strange and weird environments. His designs for the characters are second to none – he’s able to give them a polish while not losing the charm of the original designs. On top of it all, he’s great at dialing into the emotional moments that are a cornerstone to the story we’re telling.
George is the full package!
FS: I know it might be like picking your favorite kid, but do you have a favorite SilverHawks character?
EB: Going into the series, it was a tie between Bluegrass and Hotwing. Those were my childhood favourites and I was most excited to write them – I also pushed for a slight redesign on both because I felt they were the two who were most in need. Those two things together felt like I had more ownership over them.
Though, as I write, I find that I’ve really enjoyed writing Stargazer and Condor as these two grizzled cops who’ve come from a generation where Mon*Star made life difficult for the denizens of Limbo. With Mon*Star now out of prison (he breaks out at the start of the first issue), they’re desperate to not let the galaxy slide back into those dark times. Their pathos has been something I’ve really enjoyed digging into.
That said, I literally just finished writing a bunch of scenes with them and am about to dive into some Bluegrass and Hotwing scenes, so my answer very well may swing back to those two in a couple days.
FS: In your mind, what sets the ‘Hawks apart from other 1980s properties that are getting a revival?
EB: What drew me in as a kid about SilverHawks was its unique blend of science fiction and procedural storytelling. This elite team is tasked to safeguarding the galaxy from Mon*Star, who is essentially the ultimate cosmic crime lord – he’s like a juiced up, monster version of Al Capone. He’s got a vast criminal network is filled with an array of bizarre creatures, henchmen, and robotic villains, all hellbent on spreading chaos across the galaxy of Limbo.
The show brought in a lot of really fun sci-fi storytelling that was popular at the time, but grounded it with the procedural approach in a way that other cartoons weren’t. We keep using the term “Untouchables in Space” as our sort of mission statement, which is the most concise way for us to boil it down: Under Stargazer, the SilverHawks are on a mission to do what others have failed to — dismantle Mon*Star’s empire. It was this fusion of futuristic adventure and crime-fighting that truly set the show apart for me.
FS: One thing I’m hearing that is getting me particularly jazzed is that you’re getting the opportunity to stretch your legs and expand the SilverHawks universe, including exploring backstories of the menagerie of characters in the cast. Do you a mission statement for SilverHawks?
EB: The original SilverHawks series was very much an adventure-of-the-day format that hinted at a larger history, but never really dug into it. Going into the new series, we really wanted to fill in those blanks and expand upon what we already know from the show. We’re going to explore the origins of the SilverHawks program in a way that fans haven’t seen before — in the original series, it was hinted that there’d been a previous SilverHawks program, in the comic, we’re going to see that.
We’re diving deep into the backstories of each character and how Mon*Star and his syndicate have impact not only their lives, but the world around them. We’ll be spending plenty of giving readers a real sense of who each character is, what drives them, and how they ended up part of this team. It’s all about fleshing out the mythology and the characters so that they feel more layered and complex than what we may have previously had, while being sure not to lose sight of what drew us to the cartoon in the first place.
FS: Is there anything you can tease about what we can expect in the debut story?
EB: We kick off the first issue in a similar fashion to how the cartoon kicked off: Mon*Star escapes from prison and the galaxy panics. Where we diverge is that his escape is more highly orchestrated than it was in the cartoon and the mechanics of said break out are what first bring Stargazer and Jonathan Quick (aka: Quicksilver) into the fight. We’re going to get the chance to see Jonathan Quick in action before he’s a SilverHawk – here, he’s a lieutenant in Interplanetary Force 8 (called Federal Interplanetary Force 8 in the show, shortened for the comic), who has to deal with the fallout of the breakout plan. We’ll get to learn a little more about Stargazer and the original SilverHawks program right out of the gate, which is something I’ve very excited to delve into.
It’s going to take a few issues before our team is fully formed. We’re going to spend a little time with each character – Bluegrass and Hotwing take the spotlight in #2, while Copper Kidd, Steelwill, and Steelheart are the focus of #3 – so that we can ensure that we make a big impact when the team finally comes together.
As to Mon*Star and his plans, we’ll learn through the first arc that there’s a reason for the timing of his jailbreak. There’s a larger threat looming for the Limbo galaxy.
FS: If you had one final pitch for SilverHawks, what would it be?
EB: All I can say is that this is a book I’ve been wanting to write for a while. I love the SilverHawks, so does George, and I think anyone who’s a fan of them or anyone who’s just interested is going to be able to feel that love from George and I. I can only hope that it’s contagious.
As I mentioned above, it’s been nearly 40 years since we’ve had new SilverHawks stories. I’d really love for this one to last for as long as possible, so I’m asking anyone interested to please let their comic shops know. Comic shops base their orders on customer interest, so the earlier folks let them know, the better they can gauge that interest.
SilverHawks #1 debuts Wednesday, January 29, 2025, from Dynamite.
From the official issue description:
In the nearby galaxy of Limbo, the deadly mob boss Mon*Star has escaped from his confinement on Penal Planet 10 – and he’s looking to take revenge on everyone who put him there!
At the top of that list is Commander Stargazer, the grizzled space cop who personally took Mon*Star down the last time he went on a rampage. To recapture Mon*Star and his gang of super-criminal associates, Stargazer must put his retirement on hold and assemble a new team of his famed bionically enhanced law enforcers – the SilverHawks!
Recruited from every corner of known space by the Federal Interplanetary Force, the SilverHawks were engineered to be the first line of defense against Limbo’s ruthless agents of chaos. But during Mon*Star’s long incarceration, the program went dormant, and its state-of-the-art tech has drifted towards obsolescence. Now, as they take on the galaxy’s deadliest lawbreakers, Stargazer’s new team of untested cyborgs – including Quicksilver, Bluegrass, Hotwing, Steelwill, Steelheart, and The Copper Kidd – will face the ultimate trial by fire!
Rising star writer ED BRISSON (ThunderCats: Apex, The Uncanny X-Men) and acclaimed artist GEORGE KAMBADAIS (Gargoyles, Hercules) open up an all-new entry in the FIF’s legendary case files with SilverHawks #1 – featuring beautifully polished covers from LUCIO PARRILLO, JAE LEE & JUNE CHUNG, JAMES STOKOE, GERALDO BORGES, DECLAN SHALVEY, LESLEY “LEIRIX” LI, MANIX, and DAVID COUSENS!